Rs. 5bn schemes launched for construction of low-cost housing units.

ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Housing and Works has started several schemes worth Rs.5 billion for interest-free loans for the poor segments of the society for the construction of 3 to 5 marla low-cost housing, 5,137 units are at various stages of construction.

According to a report launched by the government about two-year performance, Rs.5 billion would be used as revolving funds for five years to continue the schemes till 2025.

During the two years, the government had taken several steps to facilitate the low-income people including ministry had restarted stalled schemes, new apartment schemes worth Rs.109 billion, govt to govt housing schemes, the promulgation of FGEHA Act, promulgation of NPHDA Ordinance and Real Estate Regulation Act approved by the cabinet.

The ministry got some stalled projects like Kurri Road Project Islamabad, Wafaqi Colony Project Lahore, G-10/2 Project Islamabad, I-16/3 Project Islamabad and I-12/1 Project Islamabad.

These long-stalled projects have been put on the track and completed by the PHA, however, the work on I/16-3 and I/12-1 projects was in progress.

Regarding initiatives taken in Balochistan, the report said the Kuchlak Road Quetta project consists of 1,350 housing units, which was inaugurated in 2019 on the land provided by the Government of Balochistan.

The membership drive was executed and over 7700 applications were received and automated balloting was also held successfully, it said.

The PC-I has been approved by DWP and endorsed by the PHA-F’s Board of Directors. The bidding and tendering process have been completed. Letter of commencement to the contractors has been issued and work has been started. Initiatives were taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PHA Residencia Sorazai Project, Peshawar, it said that land measuring 8500 Kanal was provided by the Government of KP and in the first phase, PHA-F would construct 10,000 housing units.

About the projects being executed through FGEHA, it said that the government restarted stalled schemes 8,368 units out of which 3268 at Green Enclave-I Bhara Kahu, Islamabad restarted in 2019 and 5100 plots at Green Enclave-II restart in August 2020.

The report said that new apartments schemes worth Rs.109 billion groundbreaking inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in March 2020 consisting of 10,262 units out of which 1467 apartments at Kashmir Avenue, G-13, Islamabad, 3592 apartments at Chaklala Heights, Rawalpindi, 3945 apartment at Skyline, Islamabad, and 1258 apartments at Lifestyle Residency, Lahore.

About the awareness, it said that all kinds of updates about projects/schemes were available on the web page of the Ministry of Housing and Works to keep stakeholders/allottees updated.

Simultaneously, PHAF and FGEHA have their social accounts on Facebook and Twitter, having complete information on the projects/initiatives. Moreover, project campaigns were also being publicized through newspapers, seminars, and media talks.